Unfixable (The Untouchable Series)
by lovelycaptain
Summary: A year & a half ago, Tessa Lynn's life fell apart. Her father & brother were killed by a vengeful spirit, & she was left with nothing. But two hunters-the same ones who had saved her life time and time again-took her in as one of their own. Now, Tessa travels the country with Sam & Dean Winchester, fighting demons, ghosts, & perhaps the scariest thing of all... Themselves.
1. Chapter 1

_[Begins between 2.13 House of the Holy & 2.14 Born Under a Bad Sign]_

The air was still.

Tessa Lynn stalked around the corner of the house, her gun held out in front of her. She wasn't shaking; holding a weapon was as easy to her as counting these days. She had been hunting for half a year now, and she'd managed to pick up many of the basic survival skills in that time.

 _Crunch._

Tessa whirled around, listening intently. She had definitely heard something, possibly boots on gravel coming from somewhere behind her.

 _Crunch._

She heard it again. This time, she knew the sound was coming from a few yards away. Tessa flattened herself against the wall, waiting for her opponent to come closer. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard the sound of him approaching. He was moving slowly, like a predator sneaking up on his prey.

She held the gun more firmly against her shoulder, careful not to breathe too deeply for fear that he would hear her. Tessa began scooting slowly away, tightly hugging the wall, trying to watch her feet and the area around her all at the same time.

Then, it happened.

She didn't notice the stray beer bottle on the ground, and her foot came down on it with a loud crack. She knew she was done for.

"Damn it!" Tessa whispered furiously. Her opponent was now running carelessly, so she followed suit. Of course, the second her saw her, he gave chase. Tessa began weaving in and out of the cars, ducking low as she heard the click of his gun. He was preparing to fire.

His feet pounded on the gravel, getting closer and closer to Tessa. She sped up, making it to edge of the yard. She knew she couldn't outrun him; her only hope was to lose him in the trees. Her feet met the soft grass for only a few seconds before he was on her.

Tessa hardly had time to react before she hit the ground, her attacker right on top of her. He must have leapt, throwing his whole body against hers. Tessa gasped as her breath was effectively knocked out of her, but that was the least of her problems.

"Fuck you!" Tessa breathed, gritting her teeth. Her attacker rolled off of her, his body shaking with laughter.

"Better luck next time, sweetheart." Dean murmured, his voice thick with laughter and rough next to her ear. Tessa picked her gun back up, which was loaded with blanks, and dusted herself off. She cursed in her head when she noticed the green grass stains all over her jeans.

"You enjoy being an ass, don't you?" Tessa was half-teasing as she started to walk away. She was intent on finding Sam and complaining to him about his brother, but Dean grabbed her arm, pulling her back down onto the grass beside him.

"Come on sweetheart, don't be bitter. You'll beat me eventually." he grinned that intoxicating grin, the one he knew made Tessa weak in the knees.

She gave in to his charm and smiled softly, pressing her lips to his. He immediately responded, cupping her face in his calloused hands. She pressed closer to him, twisting her fingers in his short hair. Tessa knew that if she lived to be a hundred, she would never grow tired of kissind Dean Winchester.

"Time to eat, idjits!" Tessa jumped as Bobby's gruff voice broke the sweet silence. Dean let out a groan, but he stood up, pulling Tessa to her feet with him. They walked, hands intwined, back to the house.

Bobby was waiting by the door, a half smile on his face as he watched Tessa and Dean approach. Even though the pair could be pains in his ass, he was glad Dean had found Tessa. The girl was good for him, and brought him some much needed peace after all of the hell that he'd been through.

"Please tell me you beat his ass today," Bobby said as he set bowls of stew on the table. Tessa sunk down into one of the chairs, now feeling the pain in her side. During their mock-fights, Dean didn't play around.

"No. Little fucker managed to pin me down before I had a chance to get away," Tessa paused to glare at Dean, who only winked at her. "Next time, though, I'll get him." she vowed.

"Of course you will, sweetheart." Dean smirked, spooning some stew into his mouth. Tessa did the same, falling into the easy rhythm of the dinner time conversation she'd grown so used to.

Tessa had been with the boys for a long, hard year.

After fleeing her hometown with the Winchester brothers, the reality of her situation had set in. Sure, the first few days had been liberating, being on her own, for once stress-free. But then the nightmares came, and with them, more pain. Dean and Sam eventually caught on, and they had been so wrapped up with everything else going on in their lives, between Sam's visions and finding their father, that they dropped her off to live with Bobby for a while.

So, Tessa had spent the first five months on her own here at Bobby's, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. Sam and Dean had checked in occasionally, but it had been mostly her and Bobby. Bobby had been a good host, making small talk with Tessa and taking care of her like she was his own, much like how he was with the Winchesters. He was always careful to check that she ate and drank, but other than that, he usually left her to her own devices. Bobby understood what it was like to lose someone so horrifically, so he gave Tessa the space that she needed to heal.

Then came the sixth month. Tessa had woken up one morning, and the fire that had been doused out before was back in full force, licking out at the monsters around her. She began training under Bobby's watchful eye, and surprisingly, she was good. With one kill already under her belt, Tessa grew strong. It took a few weeks, though, for Dean to come around to the idea of Tessa hunting. That's really when they got together.

It had been Tessa's first hunt, a vampire nest just outside of Sioux Falls. An easy, simple, run-of-the-mill case. But they had underestimated the number of vampires. Severely outnumbered, Tessa, Dean, and Sam had fought for their lives. Tessa had been the only one injured in the fight. She suffered from several broken ribs and a leg, internal bleeding, a concussion... The doctors were shocked that she managed to pull through.

While Tessa had been in the hospital, Dean had never once left her side. It took her a day or two to wake up, and when she did, she'd first thought that Dean was just being brotherly, taking care of her the same way he did Sam. It had been months since the kisses the two had shared, and Tessa had given up hope. But one day, soon after the vampire incident, Sam had taken her aside and explained everything, and then she knew. Dean loved her. Tessa, of course, had confronted him, and that was that.

Six months later things were wonderful, or as wonderful as they could get, given the situation, and the gaping hole in Tessa's heart had begun stitching itself together again.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few hours since dinner, and everyone had gone their separate ways. Bobby was outside tinkering around with one of his many cars, Sam was out on a grocery run, and Dean...

Dean was annoying the hell out of Tessa. Originally, he had gone outside to work on his car, but once he realized Tessa wasn't going to join him he came back in.

It wasn't uncommon for Bobby or Sam to find Tessa lounging around on the ground while Dean worked on the Impala, usually reading or working on some research. Dean enjoyed the company, and it didn't kill Tessa to get a little fresh air.

When she wasn't training she spent the majority of her time holed up in Bobby's house. Even though it had been a year since Tessa's brother and father died, she still preferred to be alone or with her little "family" of guys. Socializing- something Tessa used to enjoy in college- was no longer appealing to her. Dean often teased her about this.

"Ready for round two?" Dean grinned at Tessa. She sighed, looking up from her book regretfully.

Tessa rolled her eyes. "No way, buddy. My ribs are still sore from earlier today. I don't know how much more I can handle." Tessa smirked, knowing Dean understand what she was trying to subtly say.

"Oh, damn it," Dean scrunched up his face in mock-annoyance. "No sex?"

"No sex." Tessa confirmed, taking pleasure at the look on Dean's face. He narrowed his eyes a little bit before slowly walking towards her. Tessa's eyed widened as she realized exactly what he was about to do. "No, Dean, not here-"

Dean cut off her objections swiftly, planting a kiss on Tessa's mouth. He pushed her until her back was flat against the couch and his body was able to hover over hers. She let out a breathy sigh into his mouth, tugging on his hair. Dean responded by pulling Tessa's body closer to his, until there was no space between them. If they weren't lying in the middle of Bobby's living room, Tessa could have lost herself in the moment-

"What the hell are you two doing on my couch?" Tessa jumped a foot into the air, letting out a little shriek as she rolled off of Dean and onto the hard floor.

"Uh- We weren't- I mean-" Tessa stuttered, blushing furiously as she brushed strands of dark hair out of her eyes.

"Oh, but we were!" Dean grinned lazily, giving Tessa one of his signature winks as he turned to face Bobby, utterly unfazed at being caught.

"Damn it, Winchester. What do I have to do, get you two fixed?" Bobby left the room shaking his head and muttering something about "getting no peace anymore."

Tessa felt the heat gradually leave her face as she rose from the floor. Of course, she and Dean had been caught in a number of precarious positions before, but it was always by Sam. Bobby- up until now- had not been privy to one of Dean and Tessa's "sessions". She wasn't sure if she'd be able to look him in the eye for the next few days... Or weeks.

"What the hell, Dean?" Tessa shoved her boyfriend lightly, which only caused him to grin even more than before.

"Oh, sweetheart, are you embarrassed?" Dean reached out towards Tessa and pretended to be hurt when she rejected his embrace.

Tessa let out a small laugh. "Oh no, you're done, mister. No more hugs- or anything else- for you until you learn to control your sex drive."

Instead of looking ashamed, Dean just laughed. "Like you could resist this. Let me show you a little something..."

Then, Dean's lips were back on Tessa's, and his hands were going farther and farther south of the equator, but she didn't have it in her to stop him. Dean had a funny way of making a woman forget her own name while he was pleasuring her.

And Tessa didn't mind one bit.

Tessa heard the distinctive sound of a car door slam outside of the house. It had been a few hours since her and Dean's lovemaking session on the couch, and she hadn't seen the hunter, nor Bobby, in a while. After Dean had left her with a kiss to go work on his car again, she'd decided to stay inside and read some more.

Recently, Tessa had discovered a wonderful little used book store in town that had everything she could have ever wanted. When she had fled her old home, she'd left most of her novels behind. But now, thanks to the friendly staff at the bookstore, she was now rebuilding her collection. Tessa was currently rereading her worn copy of _The Great Gatsby_ , but a stack of new-old books awaited her on the coffee table.

She was just arriving at her favorite part of the novel, where Tom Buchanan finds out about Gatsby and Daisy's affair, when a loud noise from outside startled her. She was just about to run for a gun when the front door opened and Sam walked in.

"Jeez, Sam. You scared the hell out of me!" Tessa let out a shaky laugh, trying to calm herself. Since her father's death, she'd never quite regained her nerves of steel.

"Hey, Tess. Where's Dean?" Sam disappeared into the kitchen to unload the groceries. Tessa, feeling it would be rude not to help, got up to assist Sam in putting everything away.

"Working on his car, like usual. You would think by this point she would be perfect." Tessa exchanged a grin with the younger Winchester before returning to her duties.

The pair worked in comfortable silence for several minutes until all of the groceries were put away. Then, Sam disappeared to his room, something he'd been doing a lot lately. Tessa and Dean rarely discussed Sam's visions, but they both feared that things were much worse than Sam let on.

He's been withdrawing from everyone a lot as of the late, and anytime Tessa broached the subject of his "problems" he shut her down immediately. She, along with Dean and Bobby, was at a loss as for what to do to help Sam. Tessa loved the Winchester like he was her own brother, and it killed her to see him this way. But try as they might, Sam was unwilling to accept anyone's help.

Tessa heaved a sigh, grabbing a can of beer from the fridge before heading outside. She trudged through the grass to one of the many sheds where Dean was currently halfway underneath his car, sweaty and covered in grease.

"My, my. Seeing you like this has got me feeling some type of way. I love a good working man." Tessa leaned up against the hood of the car, a smirk on her face.

Dean jumped before sliding out from beneath the Impala, clearly startled by her presence. Nevertheless, a large grin broke out on his face when he saw Tessa casually standing beside him.

"Hope that beers for me, sweetheart," Dean smirked. "Or else I'm real disappointed to see you."

"Oh really, is that so? I guess I'll just go now," Tessa started back towards the house, swaying her hips in the way she knew drove Dean crazy. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly in such a playful mood; sometimes it was the only way to relieve the stress of her daily life.

"C'mon sweetheart," In an instant Dean was up, grabbing Tessa from behind and pulling her into a right hug. He spun her around and kissed her roughly, no doubt smearing grease and oil all over her clothes.

"I swear, you two are addicts or something. Can't keep it in your pants!" Bobby rolled his eyes at the pair, and this time, Dean had the decency to look just a little embarrassed.

"Sorry, Bobby." The two chorused, Tessa surely more sincerely than Dean, and waited until Bobby's retreating figure was out of sight before talking.

"One day, he's going to kick us out, you know that? And then I'll have to leave your sorry ass." Tessa grinned impishly, wiping her now filthy hands on her jeans.

"We'll see about that," and all conversation ceased to exist, because Dean was lifting Tessa onto the hood of the Impala, and suddenly she found her mouth very preoccupied with other activities.


	3. Chapter 3

"Can I get a beer? Thanks." Tessa smiled distractedly at the bartender as she tapped her fingers against the dirty countertop.

Tessa, along with the Winchester brothers, had been staking out the dingy bar for several hours in hopes of catching a lead on their latest case. There had been rumors of a group of vampires traveling through the area, and most of their victims seemed to be young, vulnerable women. Just in the past three weeks four different girls had vanished after leaving the bar with a mysterious man, and all were still missing as of this moment.

The brothers were drinking off in a shadowy corner of the bar, trying to not draw attention to themselves. Like it or not, Sam and Dean had made quite a reputation for themselves in the hunting business, and many supernatural creatures were well aware of them and their abilities.

Tessa was acting as bait for the evening. She was still basically unknown in the hunter world, and she planned to stay that way. As long as word didn't get out about her traveling with the Winchester's, she was still good as a distraction or surprise element. Dean was still wary of letting his girlfriend enter a fight on her own, and for now, Tessa was okay with that.

But as Tessa often liked to remind her boyfriend, there would come a day when he wouldn't be around to protect her, or he would be too preoccupied taking care of himself to worry about her. So it did her good, she argued, to gain experience in the hunting world. Still, even after all of that, Dean continued to shadow Tessa on every single one of their cases.

"Hey there, pretty lady. Mind if I take a sip?" A mangy looking guy, probably in his late thirties, sidled up to the counter beside Tessa.

"Actually, I would-" but before she could finish her sentence, the rude man took a big swig of her beer before setting it back down on the counter.

Instead of being repulsed, like any normal woman would be, Tessa felt a little bit relieved. Unbeknownst to the bartender and the skeevy guy, Tessa had slipped a drop of Dead Man's Blood into her drink, just in case. If the man had been a vampire he would have started choking the minute he swallowed the alcohol.

"You have a name, honey?" The man was now leering at Tessa, and as the time ticked on she was becoming more and more uncomfortable.

She paused a second before responding. "It's Katie," Tessa decided using a fake name was probably safer than using her own. And not to mention, it was also the name listed on her credit card.

"You got a last name, Katie?" He grinned again, sliding his hand across the back of Tessa's seat.

She leaned forward slightly, avoiding the wandering hand that was inching closing and closer to her. "Yeah. Katie Winchester. _Mrs._ Katie Winchester."

Tessa flashed her mother's engagement ring. She'd taken to wearing the ring after one too many distasteful men had hit on her, and it usually did the trick, but this guy was persistent. It had also become common for Tessa and Dean to pose as husband and wife during many of their hunts.

"Now, I don't see that husband of yours around right now, Katie. So how's about me and you go find a bathroom stall and-"

The man was cut off sharply as a fist came in contact with his face. Dean, who was now standing behind Tessa, let out a low whistle. "God damn, sweetheart. I was coming over here to give that asshat one hell of a beating, but you beat me to it."

Tessa smirked, turning around to face her boyfriend. "I'm taking that as a compliment," she paused, standing on her toes to press a kiss to Dean's lips. "And anyway, like I told you, I don't need you to be my knight-in-shining-armor, Dean. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Dean only rolled his eyes and shook his head. It seemed that Tessa would never be able to convince him that she wasn't a breakable little China doll. As long as he didn't interfere too often, Tessa could live with it, but someday he would have to accept the fact that she was as much of a hunter as he was. She only wished that Dean would come to this realization soon.

"Anyway, I'm thinking we should head on back to the motel. It doesn't seem like any vamps are showing up here tonight." Dean took Tessa's small hand in his much larger one and led her to the door.

Sam was already in the car by the time the couple came outside. He had slipped out during Tessa's very first and very brief bar fight to start the car, as autumn was in full force now and the air was bitterly cold at night.

"Good job, Tess. You really showed him," Sam reached around his seat to high-five Tessa. She returned the gesture with a grin, her teeth chattering.

"Next time you'll listen to me when I tell you to bring a jacket, eh?" Dean threw his leather jacket over the seat without Tessa asking for it, and she covered up gratefully.

She inhaled the familiar scent of gunpowder and leather and that whiff of something that was just Dean and instantly felt at home. Over the past year Dean had grown to be her safe haven, and so anything associated with him automatically made her feel welcome.

Tessa snuggled down into the jacket's warmth and leaned her head against the window. Every few minutes she would catch Dean's eye in the mirror, and he would pull a funny face, wink, or make kissy lips at her. Sam, on the other hand, would make gagging sounds every time this exchange occurred.

"Home, sweet home." Dean said, pulling up into a space in front of the motel rooms.

They were staying in another run down place, like normal, with exterior doorways. It made for a quick escape more easily, Tessa knew, but sometimes she couldn't help but miss staying in nice, clean hotels. The few times she'd traveled as a kid they'd always stayed in a Hilton or places as equally as nice.

This room, even with all of its faults, was like a palace compared to some of the places she'd seen. Sure, there were unidentifiable stains on the carpet, and there was a faint musty smell to the air, but the heater worked, and there was hot water, so Tessa was happy. A cold shower made for an intolerable Tessa, Dean had learned, so he always made sure the room they stayed in had decent water temperature and pressure.

The couple bid Sam goodnight and entered their separate hotel rooms. For the first few months Tessa had hunted, they'd all shared a room, but it often led to many awkward moments for Tessa and regretful images burned into Sam's eyelids. So, after walking in on Dean on top of Tessa for the twelfth time, Sam had put his foot down and insisted on having his own room.

After Tessa and Dean had showered and cleaned up, they climbed into bed, equally exhausted. Dean turned on the TV, setting the volume low so Tessa could go to sleep. She snuggled up beside him, pressing her freezing cold feet against his leg, something she knew he hated but did anyway. Dean didn't move away though, he only pulled the girl closer against his chest.

Tessa yawned as she listened to the steady sound of Dean's heartbeat. She trailed her fingers up and down her boyfriend's bare chest lightly, smiling as he let out a low noise of approval. Dean usually slept in only his boxers, and on nights like this, Tessa was appreciative of the extra body heat. At first she had been extremely self-conscious of being so intimate and close with her boyfriend, but it only took her a few week to warm up to the idea.

After all, Dean could be very persuasive when he wanted to be.

Several hours after Tessa had drifted off into a deep sleep, Dean disentangled himself from the girl and quietly slipped on a shirt, his jacket and a pair of jeans. He carried his shoes in his hands, waiting to put them on in the car to ensure that he didn't wake Tessa up. He scribbled a note for his sleeping girlfriend and left it on his pillow, just in case she were to wake up and find him missing.

After sparing one last guilty look for Tessa, who was now sprawled across the bed, her dark hair framing her pale face, Dean slipped out the door. He locked it behind him, the only sound in the night the faint noise of the lock clicking into place. With an address written on a slip of paper in his pocket and a heavy heart, Dean drove off into the night, oblivious to the fact that his younger brother was watching him leave with silent, judgmental eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

_Tessa couldn't breathe._

 _The demons were closing in, coming closer and closer to Tessa and those she held near and dear. Dean was on her left, and Sam on her right, as they stood against the hoard of supernatural creatures that were without a doubt going to kill them._

 _Tessa knew and accepted the fact she was going to die. But she sure as hell wasn't going to go down without a fight, for more Dean's sake than hers. She knew that the eldest Winchester would do everything in his power to see that she was safe and protected. He would rather die than see Tessa or Sam hurt, that she knew._

 _So, Tessa was going to do everything that she could to protect her love, because so many people needed Dean. Aside from Sam and Bobby, countless people owed Dean their life, and the world needed him to protect them. Without Dean, there would be one less hunter in the world, and that just couldn't happen._

 _Tessa took a deep, shaking breath and searched for Dean's hand, never removing her eyes from the demons stalking towards her. She held onto Dean's outstretched hand as tightly as she could, because she was sure she'd faint if it weren't for the soothing feeling of his skin against hers._

 _As the demons drew closer to the three hunters, Tessa's entire life with the Winchesters flashed before her eyes._

 _The first kiss with Dean to the tune of Journey..._

 _The first ride in the '67 Chevy Impala that she'd grown to love..._

 _Her first time holding a gun, and the power she felt..._

 _Sam holding Tessa tightly after her father had been killed..._

 _Bobby's kind and quiet hospitality as Tessa recovered from the events of her past..._

 _The fierce, fierce love and pride in Dean's eyes the first time she went on a hunt..._

 _Waking up every single morning with faith in the knowledge that she was so very loved._

 _Tessa felt her breath quicken, and she painstakingly pulled her hand away from Dean. She held up a gun, her only weapon against the black-eyed bastards, and prepared for death._

 _The attack began._

 _Try as they might, the threesome was no match for the demons. Tessa watched in horror as Sam was brought down within seconds, his face and body a bloody mess. She was too distracted to see the demon lunge for her, and it was on top of her before she had a chance to react._

 _"Tessa, no!" Over the roar of the fight, Tessa clearly heard the sound of Dean's voice. He came into sharp focus as he pulled the demon off of her._

 _"Watch ou-" Tessa screamed, but it was too late. Within a second a demon had come up behind Dean and snapped his neck. He fell._

 _Tessa scrambled across the muddy ground towards Dean, all thoughts of defending herself forgotten. All she could do was stare into his lifeless green eyes, which use to hold so much light and love, and pray for this all to be a bad dream-_

The door slammed. Tessa gasped, finally roused from her nightmare. She sat straight up in bed, looking around wildly for the source of the noise, and her boyfriend.

"Tess- Are you okay? What the hell happened?" Dean rushed across the room, throwing his leather jacket across the ratty sofa in the process. He pulled Tessa across his lap, ignoring the fact that her hair and body was soaked with sweat.

"The nightmares-" she paused, gasping for breath. "-they're back."

Tessa shut her eyes, willing for her tears to dry up so she could get a grip on herself. Everything was okay- Sam wasn't dead. Dean wasn't dead. She wasn't dead. It was all just a bad dream.

"It- It felt so real." Tessa leaned her head against Dean's chest, her tears soaking his thin t-shirt. He didn't seem to mind at all.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. But everyone is fine; we're all here and safe. Nothing happened, it was all in your head. I love you, Tessa." Dean smoothed Tessa's hair, his fingers catching on tangles, and kept murmuring into her ear.

"Where were you?" Tessa wiped her eyes hastily and looked up at Dean. Instantly, his eyes took on a deer-in-the-headlights look.

"Um- I- I went to check on getting more towels for the bathroom. We're running low." Dean's voice was steady, but he was choosing his words very carefully and avoiding eye-contact with Tessa.

"But you didn't bring any towels back?" Tessa was now leaning away from them, suspicion clear in her tone. Yet again, Dean took on the face of a guilty man. Tessa's stomach felt jumpy.

"Oh, yeah. I couldn't find any maids on staff, and the guy at the front desk was a royal idiot... So, um, I'm going to go back later. Maybe I'll have some better luck then." Dean's story was weak, and they both knew it. All he could pray for was that Tessa wouldn't press him for further details.

Tessa squinted at him, clearly calling his bluff, but she didn't say anything. As of the moment she was too exhausted to play a game of twenty questions. And after all, it wasn't her job to monitor Dean every single second of the day. He was a grown man who was perfectly capable of looking after himself.

"Alright, then. But don't forget to go back later- I used the last washcloth last night." Tessa pushed herself off of Dean's lap and laid down, her back to her boyfriend. Usually, they slept close together, practically on too of each other, but Tessa was feeling uneasy. Dean was hiding something, she just didn't know what.

And in her heart of hearts, Tessa knew she really didn't want to find out was going on with Dean. The truth hurts like a motherfucker, her dad had always said, and she couldn't help but think that whatever Dean was hiding, it would kill her.

In the room right next door to Tessa and Dean's, Sam lay awake, tossing and turning. He was fighting a war inside his head: Tessa or Dean?

On one hand, Dean was his brother, and he loved him unconditionally and would always see the best in him. But on the other hand, he loved Tessa too, and if his suspicions about Dean were correct, then he was going to be hurting the girl big time in the near future. Sam just couldn't stand to see that happen.

With a long sigh, Sam rubbed his dry eyes and say up. He knew what he had to do. He had to tell Tessa what was going on. But when? And how? She and Dean were practically inseparable; it would take a lot to get Tessa on her own.

But he had to do this. Sam wouldn't let his brother toy with another girls heart, and especially this girl. He loved Tessa too much to do that to her.

So, Sam hatched a plan.

A/N: I cannot tell you how sorry i am for such a long wait! I have had zero inspiration lately and haven't felt motivated at all. So, while watching the season 11 premiere (which was pretty great, by the way) I finished this little chapter up! Hope you all enjoy! All the love. Sarah.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been two days since Tessa's last nightmare, the one where Dean and Sam had been killed by the demons. She'd been constantly on edge since then, not sleeping for more than two hours and jumping every time someone made too loud of a noise.

At first, after her father died the dreams usually involved gory reenactments of his death, along with Tyler's and occasionally her mother's. Those Tessa could recover from, because she knew nothing could bring back the dead, so therefore those dreams couldn't come true anymore. But then, after that horrible, awful hunt, the one that nearly took her life, she had dreams of death befalling the Winchesters and Bobby. Those were the dreams that killed her inside...

 _Dusk had settled over the valley. Tessa, against Sam and Dean's wishes, had sneaked out of Bobby's house an hour or two after they'd left to join them on their hunt. Through careful observation and a few quick searches of Sam's internet history, Tessa knew all of the details of the current vampire case the brothers were working._

 _Tessa drummed her fingers against the wheel of one of Bobby's old fixer-uppers anxiously as she drove. This was the first hunt she'd ever been on, the first time she had left the house on her own since... since the incident hundreds of miles away, in a little house in O'Brien, Texas..._

 _Tessa shook her head to rid her mind of the memories of bloodstains and ghosts that were threatening to take over. She instead focused on what she would say to Sam and Dean when she caught up with them. They would be angry, of course, Dean more so than Sam, but they would get over it. After all, Tessa had been training for months to prepare for this moment. Bobby was a good teacher, and Tessa was confident that she was ready to tackle her first case._

 _Of course, not everyone agreed with her. When Tessa had first broached the idea of joining the Winchester's on their vampire hunt, Bobby had slammed his fist against the table and vehemently told her that she wasn't ready. Tessa had pretended to agree with him at the time and let the subject drop, but her mind hadn't been swayed. So, she'd waited until Bobby had fallen asleep to sneak out her second story window, scale down the drainpipe, and steal one of the cars parked in the lot. She made a quick and clean escape._

 _Tessa didn't want to think about how furious Dean would be when he saw her. He had always been much more protective over her than Sam, and when she'd mentioned her training to him he'd told her flatly that she wasn't allowed to hunt, that he wouldn't let her. Tessa had huffed at him and refused to speak to him for the rest of the day, but after that she'd taken up her training with a renewed vigor._

 _And she was ready. Tessa knew without a doubt that whatever she was about to face, she could beat it with the Winchester's at her side. And maybe if she proved herself, then they would consider letting her travel with them full-time. She got lonely when the boys were gone, and she craved to once again explore the world around her. It had been far too long since she'd interacted with another human besides the Winchester's and Bobby._

 _"Shit shit shit!" Tessa muttered. The Impala was pulling off of the highway onto a faint dirt road, and Tessa knew it would be much harder to follow them inconspicuously now._

 _Once the Impala's headlights faded into the distance, Tessa pulled over onto the shoulder and got out of the car. She stuck the keys in her pocket, and after checking to make sure her daggers and pistol were all within grabbing distance, took off down the dirt road at a steady jog. She listened intently for the sound of anything in the dark distance, but all was still. It was so quiet, in fact, that Tessa felt uneasy._

 _She jogged for several minutes until she came across an old, dilapidated farmhouse. The roof was sagging slightly on one end, and all of the windows in sight were broken. Tessa approached the rotting front porch cautiously. The Impala was nowhere in sight, but that didn't mean that Sam and Dean hadn't hidden it around the area somewhere._

 _Tessa lightly placed a foot on one of the porch steps. It didn't squeak, which she took as a good sign as she approached the front door. It swung open at her touch. Tessa stepped over a pile of floorboards in the entryway and let the door shut quietly behind her. She resisted the urge to pull out her flashlight; if there were any vampires around, that would be sure to give her away immediately._

 _To her left, Tessa could see a set of stairs leading up that seemed to be in pretty good shape. Across the massive living room was something that looked to be a kitchen, but there was so much rubble and trash that it was hard to tell. Tessa approached the stairs, nearly tripping over an empty beer can as she did so._

 _"Fuck," an explicit slipped through Tessa's lips as she caught herself on the banister. One wrong move and she was as good as dead._

 _Tessa climbed the staircase with caution, careful to avoid the puddle of what looked to be human blood on the sixth stair from the top. She didn't stop to inspect the puddle for sure. Once she reached the top, Tessa could see a faint light glowing from beneath one of the doorways. She was so focused on the door, in fact, that she didn't see the dark shape come up behind her and grab her shoulder._

 _"Tessa? What the hell are you doing here?" Dean hissed, whirling the girl around to face him._

 _Tessa stifled a scream as she stared into Dean's green eyes. As her heart rate slowed, she saw Sam appear from one of the doors to their right. His jaw dropped when he saw who Dean had in a death grip._

 _"Listen, I'm sorry, okay? But I had to do this. I want to hunt." Tessa whispered quickly, glancing wildly around the hallway. She wasn't sure who she was more afraid of right now: the vampires, or Dean._

 _Dean shook his head in exasperation. "We'll talk about this later. But for right now, just stick behind me, alright? The last thing I need is for you to get hurt."_

 _Tessa nodded mutely and moved to flank Dean. Sam wordlessly handed her a long, silver machete, which she gripped for dear life in her right hand. The trio slowly approached the only shut door on the landing, and after signaling to the other's, Dean threw the door open._

 _In short, all Hell broke loose._

 _One second, Tessa was standing just behind Dean, with Sam to her right. And then a dark mass came flying out of the darkness, launching itself at Dean, fangs bared. Dean reached out an arm and flung Tessa backwards so she stumbled and hit a wall. Then, while she watched with wide, horror-filled eyes, Dean sliced the vampire's head off it's body. Blood splattered the wall._

 _That wasn't the only vampire in the room, however. Apparently enraged by the slaying of their fellow vampire, three more creatures appeared out of the darkness and hurled themselves across the room. Dean and Sam were ready, though, and wielded their machetes like swords against the evil creatures. Tessa was so enraptured by this that she didn't see the young, blond-headed vampire sneak up on her until he wrapped his cold hands around her arm._

 _With a yelp, Tessa was dragged down the hall by the vampire, who was presumably taking her to a place where he could feast on her blood in peace. Tessa struggled against the vampire, but her strength was no match for his. Then she remembered the machete that was mercifully still in her hand, and she swung it blindly above her left arm. The machete hit home, and with an infuriated cry the vampire's arm was severed in half._

 _Tessa took the vampire's momentary distraction to scuttle up the stairs, running back towards the room where Dean and Sam had been. But, just as she was about to reach the doorway, the vampire grabbed her ankle and jerked it. Tessa cried out as she heard a sickening cracking sound, and then she looked down and saw that her ankle was bent at a funny angle._

 _"You're a pretty one, aren't you?" the vampire sneered as he leered over Tessa. "I bet your blood will taste as good as your pretty little face looks, won't it?"_

 _Tessa couldn't say anything, because if she opened her mouth she knew she would start screaming. Instead, she fumbled around at her side for a knife, a dagger, anything to protect her from what was about to happen._

 _"Hold still!"_

 _The vampire pinned Tessa's arms down against her sides, and before she could do anything, he plunged his fangs into her neck and began drinking. Tessa began thrashing around wildly, but the vampire held her body against the floor._

 _It was hopeless. She was going to die here, and it was all her stupid self's fault. Tessa felt weak, as if all of her energy was being sucked out of her body, and then she realized faintly that the vampire was going to kill her._

 _Tessa saw the faces of her father, her brother, her mother, and she smiled faintly at them. They were glowing brightly, so bright it hurt her eyes, but then her mother reached out a hand for her, beckoning for her to join them. Tessa held one pale, trembling hand in the air, and she was close, oh so close to her mother..._

 _A pair of bright green eyes flashed in front of Tessa's face before the world went black, and she faded into nothingness._

It had taken Tessa three weeks and several blood transfusions to recover from that hunt. She had been mere centimeters away from death, and if it hadn't been for Dean arriving when he did, she wouldn't have lived to see another day. She owed her life to him several times over.

And it was in that hospital room, while she was hooked up to about a dozen different machines and had god know's what pumping through her veins, that Tessa finally told Dean that she was desperately in love with him.

 _Tessa blinked. The harsh lights of the room burned her eyes, and it took her several moments to focus enough to even realize where she was. A hospital room._

 _She wasn't dead._

 _The last thing Tessa remembered before sinking into oblivion was a pair of brilliant green eyes. Dean. He had saved her life... Again. She glanced at the tubes hooked up to her arms and Tessa then realized how close to death she must have been._

 _"Tessa? Are you awake?"_

 _Dean was standing in the doorway, looking like he hadn't slept in days. And he might not have, Tessa realized suddenly. She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious._

 _"Hey," Tessa said meekly. "Are you okay?"_

 _Dean snorted and sat down gingerly on the edge of Tessa's bed._

 _"Of course, sweetheart. It's you we've all been worried out. You've been out for almost two days."_

 _Tessa blinked several times. Two days? What had she missed?_

 _"Sam's alright, isn't he? Did you kill all of the vamps? I'm so sorry, Dean, I shouldn't have followed you. I wasn't ready and it was so stupid of me to put all of us at risk like that. If something would have happened to you or Sam I don't know what I would have done-"_

 _Dean put a hand over Tessa's mouth to stop her from talking. "Tessa, breathe, alright? Everyone's fine, and we took out all of the vampires. But you're right, it was a dumb ass move on your part. What the hell were you thinking, Tess?" Dean paused to take a deep breath. "I nearly lost you, and that was hell. I can't go through that again."_

 _Tessa's mind was whirling. "I nearly lost you". What had he meant by that? By the raw pain and aching on his face Tessa could tell that Dean was truly distraught. Was this just brotherly affection? Or..._

 _No. Tessa nearly laughed at the thought. It had been months and months since that day in O'Brien when Dean had kissed her to the sound of Journey. They had been just fooling around; it meant nothing. There was no way that Dean Winchester, notorious heart breaker and ladies man, would up and decide to settle down with some girl he'd picked up in a little Texas town._

But she'd been wrong. Maybe Tessa had known then, deep down that she loved Dean, but she sure as hell wouldn't admit it. Not until that fateful day when Sam had told her of Dean's feelings.

Tessa squeezed her eyes shut to keep herself from crying. It had been so simple, so easy in the early days of their relationship, or at least as simple as things in their lives could be. What had happened? Why were there suddenly shut doors and hushed secrets, cold beds and empty hearts?

With a sinking feeling, Tessa realized that she'd lost him. She wasn't sure how long ago Dean had slipped away from her, but suddenly it was here and she felt broken. It was like waking up suddenly one day and realizing that the one you loved had moved out all of their belongings piece by piece and they were gone, and all that was left was you and a box of memories in that empty house.

Tessa didn't want it to be over. God, she loved him. She loved Dean Winchester so much that she couldn't even express the extent of her emotions.

Clearly, though, he didn't return the sentiment. So, Tessa laid in bed, silent tears rolling down her cheeks and onto the pillows and she waited for Dean to put on his boots and slip out the door, just as she'd suspected he'd been doing every night for a long, long time.

She didn't sleep, even after the dull roar of the Impala's engine faded into the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

Tessa finally managed to slip into an uneasy sleep, and when she awoke, the sun was shining brightly through the motel room's single window. By the looks of it, it must already be midday.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

Tessa jumped at the sound of Dean's voice. She rolled over and sat up just as he came out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water clinging to his hair. As much as she hated to admit it, Dean still took her breath away. And she had a sneaky suspicion that no matter how far away he drifted, how long he left, he always would have that hold over her.

"Good morning," Tessa said lightly. "When did you get up?"

Dean shifted slightly. If Tessa didn't know him so well, she wouldn't have picked up on this nervous tick of his, but her already suspicious eyes caught it immediately. If what she thought was true, Dean had just arrived back to the room only a few hours ago.

Tessa turned away from Dean on the pretense of checking her phone. She couldn't look at him anymore, not without feeling sick inside. She checked the time: 12:16 pm. Dean had let her sleep half the day away.

"Um, I'm going to go over and see Sam, okay? I had some, uh, stuff that I needed to talk to him about."

Without waiting for Dean's response, Tessa sprang out of bed and slipped on a pair of cotton pajama pants and her worn converse. It wasn't her greatest fashion choice, but she was just running over to Sam's room. And besides that, she had more important things to worry about than how she looked.

Tessa threw open the door and welcomed the fresh air that hit her. There was a chill to the air, meaning that fall was finally arriving. Tessa knocked on the door next to her and Dean's, and after a few seconds she jiggled the handle. It was unlocked.

"Hey, Sam. You're not naked or anything, are you? Because I'm coming in." Tessa cracked the door and peeked inside.

Sam was predictably hunkered down over his laptop, earbuds in. Tessa tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned around she could immediately tell something was wrong. Instead of greeting her with a smile and greeting, like he usually did, Sam was silent and averted his gaze.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Tessa asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed opposite Sam.

"What?" Sam cleared his throat awkwardly. "Nothing's wrong, Tess. I've been working all morning, I could use a break. Want to grab a coffee from the lobby? I'm pretty sure I saw a cappuccino machine last night."

Tessa internally rolled her eyes. There was something Sam wasn't telling her. But instead of pressing him, she smiled brightly and said, "Sure! I'm dying for some coffee. Just let me change really quick and I'll be good to go."

Tessa turned towards the door, but Sam grabbed her arm suddenly.

"Tessa... There's something I need to tell you. It's about-" Sam paused. "You know what? Never mind. I'll tell you later."

Tessa's heart filled with dread. It could be a coincidence, she tried to tell herself, but she couldn't quite believe the lie. If her gut feeling was right, Tessa knew exactly what Sam was about to tell her.

After telling Sam she'd meet him in the lobby, Tessa walked back over to her room. She heard the sound of Dean's voice from inside, and assuming he was on the phone with Bobby, quietly opened the door. She was just about to make her presence known when she caught a snippet of Dean's conversation.

"Yeah, baby. Last night was good. I'll try to swing by again before I leave town, okay? I've got to have that pretty little ass one more time-"

"Dean?" Tessa whispered, but it was loud enough for him to hear. Dean dropped the phone and whirled around like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Tessa- Sweetheart, it's not what-"

Tessa laughed without humor. "It's not what it looks like? Really, Dean, that's the line you go for first? Kind of pitiful, don't you think?"

Dean opened and closed his mouth several times, seemingly at a loss for words.

"I'm not going to deny it, okay? But I can promise you, Tess, it was a mistake. She doesn't mean anything to me." Dean started to come towards Tessa, arms outstretched, but she backed away.

"But you were going to hook up with her again, weren't you? You told her you'd see her again before we left. How many girls, exactly, have you fucked since we've been together? Do I even want to know?"

Tessa's voice shook with every word she spoke. She just wanted to leave, to get out of this hotel room and not be Tessa Lynn, the girl from a broken home with a broken life and a broken life. Looking at Dean, and imagining everything he'd done with this nameless, faceless girl made her entire body shake with anger and hurt.

The door opened, and Tessa and Dean both turned to see a confused Sam standing in the doorway. He looked from Tessa's teary face, to Dean's wide eyes, to the phone on the floor, and he put two and two together. Tessa and Sam's eyes met for a long moment, and two words were written all over the latter's face: I'm sorry.

"Sam," Tessa began, voice quivering. "Would you mind driving me to Bobby's? It seems like your brother has some prior engagements."

Sam nodded, his face hardening. "Sure thing, Tess. Just let me know when you're ready and we'll go."

Tessa nodded her thanks and moved past Dean to her suitcase. He grabbed her arm, though, and forced her to face him. Tessa was startled to see tears in the hunter's eyes.

"Baby, please. Please don't do this. We can work this out, okay? I love you, Tessa. I love you so fucking much." Dean was practically begging her now.

Tessa took a deep breath, trying to control the rate of her breathing and the steady stream of the tears now falling fast and thick down her face. She closed her eyes briefly, trying her hardest to summon the courage to utter the words that had been on her mind since she had begun suspecting Dean of having an affair.

"I wanted it to be you, Dean. God damn, I really did." Tessa said quietly.

Those words did the trick. In that instant, the look on Dean's face nearly unraveled her barely-there composure. He was so broken, so... Fragile. In her time knowing Dean Winchester, he'd never looked like this. Not when his father died, not when he realized what Sam's destiny was... Never had she seen such a look of pure agony on his face.

"Tess, please." Dean whispered, reaching out for her yet again.

She flinched away, and he immediately retracted his hand. Tessa tore her gaze away from Dean and began throwing clothes and toiletries into her suitcase at random. She had to get out, because if she stayed just a minute longer, Tessa knew that she would be back in Dean's arms.

Her father had raised her to be a strong, independent woman. She wouldn't disgrace him by staying with a man who had cheated on her.

"Dean, just stay here, okay? I'll be back in a day or two," Sam said in a clipped voice.

The younger Winchester took Tessa's suitcase out of her hand, and he threw him free arm around her shoulders, herding her to the Impala. Against her better judgment, Tessa turned around, and her eyes locked with Dean's. He made no effort to conceal his pain, and for a fraction of a second she considered going back.

Then, Sam opened the passenger door for her and gently pushed her inside, and the moment was lost. Tessa sat numbly as Sam said a few words to Dean before climbing into the Impala himself.

She let the growling of the car's engine lull her into a deep sleep like it had so many times before. Except, this time, the smell of gunpowder and cologne was missing.

Tessa awoke to someone softly shaking her shoulder. She blinked sleepily, and then glanced around her surroundings. For a brief, blissful second Tessa had no idea where she was. Then, she remembered.

Dean.

Tessa's heart broke all over him. The memories of the past several hours came flooding back to her in full force, and then tears were in her eyes and she was breathing unsteadily.

"Whoa, whoa, Tess. Take it easy," Sam helped Tessa out of the car, concern etched on his face. "Let's get you inside."

Tessa numbly followed Sam inside Bobby's house.


	7. How They Shined (Christmas Special)

A/N: Good morning/evening/afternoon/night all! I thought I would write this Christmas one-shot to get me (and hopefully you!) into the Christmas spirit!  
This is set during Tessa's first Christmas with the Winchesters, so about 4-5 months after the end of Untouchable.* This is also before Dean and Tessa started dating**, but there may be a little Dessa moment in here. ;) I hope you enjoy this in all of its fluffy, angsty, glory.

It's currently around 4am on Christmas morning as I finish this, so I apologize if it isn't my greatest! I'm just a bit delirious and sleep-deprived right now!

Oh, and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy Whatever-You-Celebrate! All my love as always, Sarah

*Someone fact check me on this, please. I can't keep the dates straight for my own story... I'm a hot mess.

**Again, fact check please. I told you guys, I suck at dates/time. xx S

* * *

The snow was falling thick and fast through the winter night, but Tessa couldn't find it in herself to enjoy the beautiful weather. It was currently Christmas Eve, and instead of sitting in the living room with Sam, Dean, and Bobby, Tessa was curled up on the bench beside her bedroom window, sipping hot tea from a cracked mug and choking back tears.

This was her first Christmas without her father and brother. Tessa couldn't remember a time in her life when she hadn't spent the winter holidays with her family, decorating the tree and baking cookies, wrapping gifts and humming along to Christmas songs. Christmas had always been a big deal in Tessa's house, and in her haste to leave those many months ago, she hadn't thought to take some of their special decorations with her.

Any time Tessa walked by the Christmas tree in Bobby's living room or Dean cornered her beneath the mistletoe, a deep sorrow came over her. It didn't feel right, celebrating the holidays when her father and brother were six feet under. Nothing was the same as it had before. The smell of her father's famous chocolate cookies wasn't in the air. Their sentimental ornaments weren't glittering on the trees. Tyler wasn't trying to sneak sips of the alcoholic eggnog beneath her great-aunt Lilian's nose. It was the most wonderful time of the year, yet Tessa had never felt more alone.

Suddenly, Tessa broke from her stupor and realized something: it was snowing. Ginormous snow flurries were falling thick and fast from the blackened sky, and there was already a thin blanket covering the ground. Tessa jumped up off of the seat, wrapped her blanket more tightly around herself, and proceeded to fly down the stairs and into the living room.

Sam, Dean, and Bobby all looked up at Tessa in alarm when she burst into the room, but she didn't care.

"It's snowing! I don't really care what you all do, but I'm going to go rub snow all over my body."

Tessa laughed at her own poor joke, and for the first time in weeks, she felt something. A small spark inside of her, warming her entire body and making her feel like maybe, just maybe, she could be happy... Maybe she could live after all.

Dean looked at Tessa strangely for just a moment, but then the look disappeared and was replaced by a grin.

"Well, if we're rubbing things on our bodies, then I'm game." Dean smirked.

He rose from the sofa and began following Tessa out the door. In her haste, she'd forgotten to put on a jacket, and only had the worn checkered blanket she'd spent most of her days in. Tessa sat down on the stoop, and carefully arranged her blanket around herself. Dean followed silently, pressing his side up against her own. She snuggled against him gratefully, embracing his warmth.

The two sat in relative silence for several minutes, the only sounds those of the television softly murmuring from inside Bobby's living room and the wind gently rustling the leaves of the nearby trees.

"You okay, kid?"

Dean startled Tessa out of her stupor, breaking the tranquil silence. She looked up at him through snow coated lashes, confusion clear on her face. Dean only stared back at her, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Seeing that Dean wasn't going to relent, Tessa took a moment to ponder his question. Obviously, she wasn't okay. That much was clear to anyone. But how much was she comfortable sharing? How much of her own problems was she willing to burden Dean with?

Finally, Tessa decided to give him two options.

"Do you want the honest answer, or the fake one?" Tessa said.

Dean rolled his eyes and let out a noise that was something of a cross between a laugh and a growl.

"What do you think?"

Tessa sighed. It would do her some good, she supposed, to unload all of her issues on someone. If she didn't get some of this off her chest sometime soon, she feared that she would explode.

"I'm not okay, not even remotely. I can't think straight. I can hardly sleep at night, because every time I close my eyes I see my father's blood-soaked body. I see my brother's terror-stricken face. I don't feel like I can breathe," Tessa shuddered, but it wasn't from the cold. "I just... I don't know how much longer I can be this person. I don't know how long I can go on feeling so damn much. It would be better to just be numb."

Tears were rolling down Tessa's cheeks by this point. In a surprising gesture, Dean pulled her closer against his chest, and used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears. They stayed like that, his hands cupping her face and her eyes shining with pain, for what felt like eons.

"You know what, Tess?" Dean was speaking at a volume barely above a whisper. "You're gonna be fine. And you know how I know that? Because now, you've made it nearly six months without them. Six damn months. That's a long time, Tess. And if you were gonna die, if you were gonna quit and let the darkness win, you would have a long time ago. So, listen to me when I say this: I believe in you."

Suddenly, their faces were mere inches apart. And suddenly, Tessa couldn't seem to control her actions. All she knew was that she was leaning in to Dean, and he wasn't stopping her, and then their lips were pressed against each others.

And Tessa was back in her childhood bedroom, the one with the blue walls and the rock band posters. She could hear the sound of Journey playing along in the background, and could smell the gunpowder on Dean. She could feel the flush in her cheeks when her father had caught them. She was alive again.

That small spark Tessa had felt when she'd seen the snow falling outside again was back, but this time it was bigger, better. It was an all-consuming flame, licking at her insides and leaping up into her throat. The bitter cold of the night air no longer stung her, and instead she felt like just her mere touch could melt the snow into water. Her heart, her mind, her soul... Everything was living and breathing. Everything was alive.

Tessa and Dean broke apart, both breathing rather loudly, and stared at each other in stricken silence. It seemed as if neither knew what to say or how to react. Tessa, however, knew what she wanted, what she craved. She needed Dean's lips moving against hers again.

And so she leaned in again, and this time Dean was more quick to return her affection. Dean pulled Tessa's body flush against his, and he let out a low groan in the back of his throat. Tessa took this as a sign to continue on, and so she threaded her fingers in his hair.

Finally, the pair moved apart a second time, and now Dean was smirking. He let out a low whistle and ran a hand through his very-mussed hair, grinning slyly.

"Damn, Tess. I should get you alone more often."

Tessa blushed profusely and was suddenly thankful for the blackened sky. She cleared her throat awkwardly and readjusted her blanket, looking for anything to keep her occupied. Eventually, though, she had to speak.

"Er, Merry Christmas, I suppose," Tessa laughed awkwardly. "I think I might just head inside and make some hot chocolate or something..."

Tessa made to leave, but Dean grabbed her hand and pulled her back to the ground. He threw an arm around her shoulder, making escape impossible, even though Tessa had no desire to leave.

"Would you mind staying out with me for a little bit? I could use the company." Dean glanced at her through his lashes.

Tessa nodded mutely and leaned her head tentatively against Dean's shoulder. He moved to rest his head on top of hers, but not before planting a light kiss on her temple. Tessa smiled softly, though Dean couldn't see her.

The snow was falling more slowly now, and Tessa was able to see the stars. The view almost reminded her of the one in her little town of O'Brien, where there wasn't a factory for miles and you could see all of the heavens from your back porch. It was a beautiful sight, and it drew a lump to Tessa's throat. The stars were shining on Christmas Eve, and as silly as it was, she wondered if her mother, father, and brother had a hand in it.

"What're you thinking about?" Dean whispered softly.

Tessa adjusted to where she could see Dean's face, and she smiled at him.

"How glad I am to be spending Christmas with all of you," Tessa paused upon seeing the gagging motion Dean made. "Oh, shut up! I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true. I could be doing a hell of a lot worse right now, you know."

Dean grinned and tightened his grip on Tessa's shoulders.

"I could drink to that. Say, why don't we go back in and grab a beer? That Charlie Brown show is on TV, and I think we might catch the end of it." Dean said.

Tessa smiled happily and allowed Dean to help her to her feet. Just before they went inside, however, she took one last glance at the pure white snow, and the gorgeous, shining sky that it fell from.

Christmas wasn't so bad after all. She had two men who would do anything for her inside the house, and another entwining his fingers with her. She was broken, that much was obvious. But with a little bit of hope, maybe, just maybe, these boys could fix her.


	8. Chapter 7

_A/N: Long time, no see, my lovelies! I'm so sorry that it's been months and months, but hopefully, I'm back for good! Thank you for the continued love and support on my stories, and as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter of "Unfixable."_

* * *

The house was dead silent, nothing but the sound of Tessa's beating heart thudding in her chest invading the space. She hadn't moved since she'd arrived at Bobby's home three hours ago, when she'd draped herself across the couch and hugged a pillow to her chest.

Bobby had been understandably shocked when the two hunters showed up at his door, Tessa looking numb and Sam livid. After hearing bits and pieces of the story from Sam, Bobby had tried (and failed) to coax her into eating some food. He had had quietly left for his study an hour or so earlier, finally letting Tessa have a few moments to herself. Sam had been in and out of the house, speaking to someone in a hushed, angry whisper on the phone for hours on end. Tessa assumed this was Dean, but strangely enough, she couldn't find it in her to care enough to find out.

She couldn't feel anything at all, really. After she had woken up in the car outside of Bobby's house, something peculiar had happened. It was as if every emotion, every feeling that Tessa had ever had- whether it be anger, sadness, happiness-was gone. She was finally, blissfully free of Dean, of life, of feeling.

"For the last time, she's not going to talk to you! You really fucked up, Dean. I don't think she can forgive you." Sam had just entered the room, phone pressed to his ear as he stole glances over at Tessa. She only stared blankly back, not a single hint of emotion on her tired, drawn face. Sam grimaced apologetically at the girl before turning his back to her, talking even more quietly into his phone.

Then, Tessa heard it. Dean's voice coming through the speaker, crackling and distorted, but there was no mistaking that deep, loud rasp. "God dammit, Sam! Please, just let me talk to her. I'm already on my way back, I'll be there in a couple hours-"

That was all Tessa heard before she jumped out of her seat and rushed up the stairs to her old room. She yanked her now-ratty suitcase out from beneath the bed, threw it open, and began wildly throwing items inside. Bobby's home had become a sort-of "base camp" for the Winchester's and Tessa, where they left extra clothing and the odd and end possession. Now, Tessa was tossing everything inside, anxious to get out of the suffocating house as quickly as possible.

While Tessa was packing, Sam had quietly padded up the stairs and was standing just outside the girl's room. She hadn't closed the door all of the way, leaving a sliver of space for Sam to stare through. He couldn't believe what was happening. Dean and Tessa had seemed inseparable, like nothing would ever tear them apart. Now, Sam wasn't so sure what to think. The situation seemed unfixable, and after seeing the numbness in Tessa's eyes, Sam didn't think she would ever be able to forgive Dean.

He didn't know what was going to happen next. Tessa wouldn't expect Sam to choose her over his brother, he knew, but he couldn't leave the poor woman alone. They were all Tessa had, and it was their fault in the first place that her father was dead and she'd left her home. But from the looks of it, Tessa was planning on leaving, but where she would go, Sam had no idea.

Suddenly, the door flew open, revealing a disheveled Tessa lugging a giant suitcase and duffel bag. She shoved past Sam, refusing to meet his questioning gaze as she made a beeline for the staircase. Sam reached out, grabbing her arm, and forcing her to turn around and face him.

"Where the hell are you going, Tessa?" Sam said, eyes wide. "You can't leave like this."

Tessa laughed, a high, cold sound, unlike any noise she'd ever uttered before. "I can't leave, or you won't let me? Newsflash, Sam: You don't get a fucking opinion on what I do or who I become." Her face softened, and her eyes flashed to Sam's face. "You know I can't stay here, Sammy. I love you so damn much, but seeing him... I don't think I can bear it."

Sam nodded, his face filled with hurt and sorrow. He pulled Tessa to his chest, burying his face in her lilac-scented hair. It hurt like hell, knowing he was going to have to let go of the girl who was practically his sister, but nothing he could do would make her stay if she didn't want to. Tessa was stubborn and strong, and she never once backed down from a fight.

He pulled away, sighing quietly, and slipped a pair of car keys into Tessa's hand. After pressing a quick kiss to the brunette's forehead, he turned away, not moving until he heard the sound of the front door latching shut.

* * *

The long, winding road stretched out before her, and never before had Tessa felt so very alone. The second she'd pulled out of Bobby's gravel driveway, she realized that she didn't have a place on earth to go. The only people Tessa considered to be friends were Sam and Bobby, and she had just abandoned them. She couldn't go to The Roadhouse, because as soon as Dean snapped out of his stupor that would be the first place he would look for her at. And as much as she adored Ellen, Tessa knew that the woman wouldn't be able hide her from Dean.

Then, it hit her. There was only one other person Tessa could stay with, and it was such a genius idea that she wasn't sure why she hadn't thought of it before. Jo.

Jo had gone off on her own several months before, Tessa remembered Ellen mentioning. It was true that the two girls hadn't exactly been best friends during their one meeting, but Tessa hoped that Jo would extend just a little compassion towards her. After all, the main source of all Jo's anger was, in fact, Dean.

Tessa internally cringed as she reflected on the first-and only- time she and Jo had met. She'd briefly heard of Jo after Dean and Sam had handled a killer clown case Ellen had given them, but she didn't get a chance to meet the girl until several weeks later. They'd stopped by The Roadhouse to see Ash, but instead Tessa and the Winchesters witnessed a major blowout between Ellen and Jo. At the time, Tessa had admired the girls determination to become a hunter, but a small part of her was resentful of her, and for such a petty reason, as well. Sam had mentioned that Jo had a crush on Dean.

Dean had also hit on her, Sam had said, once upon a time. But since that was before they started dating, Tessa really couldn't hold it against him, at least she tried not to. Still, it made her uneasy, seeing Jo look at Dean in the way that she did. Things had only gotten worse when Jo turned up while they were on "her" case.

Jo had spent the entire time flirting with Dean while giving Tessa the cold shoulder. At first, Tessa had tried to let it go, but her patience could only go so far. There was a brief moment where she snapped at Jo, and a small fight had broken out. Dean and Sam were out at the time, so they never knew it happened, and neither of the girls had told them afterwards. Needless to say, Jo and Tessa had not parted on the best terms, and she had no idea how the girl would react when Tessa turned up to wherever she was.

"Fuck!" Tessa cursed, banging her hands against the steering wheel. She just then realized that she had no idea where- or how- to find Jo. It wasn't like she had the girl on speed dial, so she couldn't just call her up. With a resigned sigh, Tessa fumbled for her own phone in her pocket and pulled it out.

She dialed Ellen's number, praying that the older woman would pick up. She did. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ellen. It's Tessa. I know I don't really speak to you often, but, um, this is kind of a weird question, but do you have any idea where Jo is now?" Tessa bit her lip anxiously, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel.

"Last time I talked to her, she was tending some bar up in Duluth. Why, what's wrong honey?" Ellen sounded slightly worried, most likely thinking that something terrible had befallen her daughter.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. You know, I was just in the area and thought it would be nice to meet up-"

Ellen cut her off quickly. "Cut the bullshit, Tessa. What is it?"

Tessa inwardly groaned, but nevertheless, she spilled her story. Who did Ellen have to tell, anyway? "Okay, fine, you've got me. Dean and I had a, um, falling out, I guess you'd say. Basically, he's been sleeping around on me for god knows how long. I needed to leave Bobby's, to get some space, you know? I didn't want to come to The Roadhouse because I'm sure Dean'll look for me there. Jo was the first person I could think of that might let me stay for a little while."

Hearing her story said out loud, Tessa realized how pathetic she sounded. She was being extremely immature, running away from her problems rather than facing them head on. But like she'd told Ellen, she needed the space desperately. She had to be away from the supernatural world, from hunting and monsters and demons, to clear her head, just for a little while. After John had died, everything seemed to be piling on her and the Winchesters, and Tessa hadn't had a chance to breathe in what felt like years. Centuries, even.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," Ellen paused, searching for words of comfort for the poor girl on the line. "Jo should be in Duluth still. Let me know if you need anything, alright? Just say the word."

Tessa felt a sudden rush of gratitude for the older woman. "Thanks so much, Ellen." She was about to end the call when Ellen spoke again.

"And Tessa? I won't tell him you called." Ellen ended the call, leaving Tessa once again in the quiet solitude of her car. Images of Dean with that faceless girl swam around in Tessa's mind, and all she could hear was that snippet of a phone call. How could he, after everything he'd said, everything they'd been through?

And then, the worst thought of them all hit Tessa: How many others had there been?

In the entire duration of their relationship, how many women had Dean secretly been with? How many times had he abandoned her in trashy motel rooms, off to live another life for the night? Tessa wanted desperately to think that the nameless blonde was the first, and last, but she couldn't be too sure. After all, Dean had seemed too calm, too cool when she first brought up her suspicions to him. Almost as if he was well practiced in the field of cheating.

For the first time since she accepted Dean's offer to travel with him and Sam over a year ago, she regretted not going off on her own. She was a young girl, silly in her dreams and fantasies of romance and knights in shining armor. Tessa had believed that nothing could come between her and Dean, no monster or demon or witch or vampire, and look where that got her. In the end, it hadn't been a demon that took Dean away from her, like she'd grown accustomed to thinking. It had been his own sex drive, his unwillingness to let go of the man he used to be.

Tessa was truly and completely alone, now. She knew no one outside of this group of hunters, she had no "real" home, and hell, even the car she was driving belonged to Bobby. All she truly owned were the bags thrown in the trunk and the CD in the disc player.

"God dammit!" Tessa pulled over to the side of the road to calm herself down. The last thing she needed was to get into a wreck. Tessa took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. She fished around in the glove compartment for a minute until she found a map that Bobby had tucked away in there. From the looks of it, Tessa was almost to Duluth. She was thankful for that, too, because it was getting darker outside, and she didn't like the idea of running around an unfamiliar town at night.

As she drew closer and close to the city limits, Tessa slowed down, now intent on finding the bar that Jo was working at. Ellen hadn't given her a name, but there couldn't be too many bars in this town, could there?

Apparently, there were. After an unsuccessful ten minutes of driving up and down the streets, a neon sign caught Tessa's eye. "The Sandpiper," it read. Underneath the sign were the words "Duluth's Biggest, Loudest Bar!"

"Thank god," Tessa muttered as she parked. She sat in the car for a minute after turning off the ignition, trying to gather her wits. It was a given that Jo wasn't going to be happy to see Tessa, so the best she was hoping for was a cold glare and maybe a backhanded insult or two. She was likely still pissed off at Dean and Sam, and therefore Tessa as well for associating with them.

Thankfully, there were only a few stragglers left in the bar, mainly older guys who looked like they'd been done over a good few times. One man nodded his head in greeting to Tessa, who cautiously smiled in return. She felt naked without her mother's engagement ring on her finger; in her haste to leave, she'd left it at Bobby's. Someday she would have to go back for it.

Tessa scanned the bar for Jo, her heart hammering in her chest, and finally spotted the blonde opening up a twelve pack behind the counter. Tessa took in a final, breath, counted to five, and made her move

"Hey, Jo," she said, approaching the bar slowly. Her stomach turned as she got closer to the girl, and Tessa braced herself for the likely stream of curses that were to come.

Jo turned around, an incredulous expression on her face. She raised an eyebrow at Tessa, looking her up and down before speaking. "Why the hell are you here?"


End file.
